FIREFIGHTERS have described how an elderly woman was lucky to escape after her car tumbled down the side of a hill.

The woman, understood to be in her 80s, was driving on Queens Road, Winchester, when she crashed through the metal railings and careered over the edge of a 20 foot bank.

Firefighter James Locke, of Winchester Fire Station, attended the scene.

He said: “It could have been much, much worse. She was very lucky. She was very shocked.

“She didn’t suffer any life threatening injuries. She was more concerned that people were making too much of a fuss about her.”

The incident happened at around 8.15am on Monday (Jan 6) and the woman had to be hoisted out from the car using ropes, after branches and trees were cut away.

Mr Locke added: “Apparently when she was being hoisted out she was asked where on her body she was in pain, and she said ‘I’m in my 80s – I hurt everywhere!’”

He said the pensioner believes her sandal may have become caught on the accelerator.

A spokesman for South Central Ambulance said they despatched an ambulance and, due to the steep hill the car and tumbled down, a HART team. HART teams are trained to deal with particularly hazardous or challenging incidents.

The spokesman said the patient was taken to Southampton General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.